Have you listened to this podcast?
Zach Lahn, co-founder of Wonder, an Acton Academy in Wichita, Kansas, was recently interviewed by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson. They walk through a day in the life of an Acton learner (the same model we use here at Acton Academy Madison West), the curriculum designed to help inspire these students toward their true calling, and exactly why this unconventional approach might be well worth your consideration as a parent.
Have a listen!
– Chapters –
(0:00) Coming up
(0:27) Intro
(1:15) The need for a new model
(5:46) What is most important for children to learn?
(6:57) Agency over skillset
(9:45) Self Authoring
(12:43) Origin of the American education system
(15:44) competing systems
(17:36) The Acton schedule
(21:28) Kids live in a meta narrative
(22:23) The education of character
(23:47) Akira the Don, active learning
(27:36) Mixed age classes
(30:20) Inspiring development and leadership
(31:31) Necessary freedom
(33:07) Socratic discussion, mentors
(37:05) Khan Academy
(39:20) Goals for kindergarten
(40:04) Compared to public school
(41:51) Tuition
(43:20) The problem with measurement
(44:30) Self tracking and public peer review
(50:00) Two behaviors that cannot work in school
(51:26) If not rectified by the age of 4…
(52:49) Gamified learning
(54:03) Freedom hours
(56:49) Are Wonder graduates prepared?
(58:14) How conflicts are handled
(1:01:13) All learning is self-learning
(1:04:25) When initiative is scorned
(1:07:54) How to determine what learners read
(1:09:18) Why self help books are so useful
(1:10:34) Why children don’t like reading
(1:12:17) Book review review
(1:15:09) Badge plan
(1:19:10) Aims of each age group
(1:22:18) The power in apprenticeships
(1:28:50) Approach to high school, the “next great adventure”
(1:32:05) Success of the model
(1:34:03) Be ready for a journey
